125 years of the Klagenfurt concert hall: a festival for culture!

125 years of the Klagenfurt concert hall: a festival for culture!

Klagenfurt, Österreich - The Konzerthaus Klagenfurt celebrated its 125th anniversary on April 7, 2025 with a festive concert that attracted numerous visitors. The focus of the celebrations was the performance of Giuseppe Verdi's "Messa da Requiem", which was presented by the choir and the orchestra "Lorenzo da Ponte" under the direction of Roberto Zarpellon. Governor Peter Kaiser, together with Gabriele Semmelrock-Werzer, the President, and Ernest Hoetzl, the general secretary of the music association, warmly welcomed the guests.

Kaiser described the concert hall as a “house for everyone” and emphasized the cultural, historical and innovative importance of the building. The concert hall, which was built in the style of historicism and has served as a music and event building since its opening in 1900, has continuously developed in order to meet the requirements of time. Work is currently underway at the Gustav Mahler Privat University for Music, while the company is maintained in the concert hall.

a place of cultural diversity

The concert hall organizes around 250 events every year, which attract around 80,000 visitors interested in culture. With a diverse program, it is an important part of cultural life in Klagenfurt. The history of the house goes back to the beginning of the 20th century when it was built as a cultural expression for the emerging bourgeoisie. The financing was taken over by the Carinthian Sparkasse, while the renowned architect Leopold Theyer designed the design in late historicism.

After the opening on July 5, 1900, there was initially criticism of the wardrobe and the acoustics of the Great Hall. In order to eliminate the acoustic defects, the second largest organ of the k. and k. Monarchy installed. In the following years, the concert hall experienced several conversions and extensions that significantly enlarged the possible uses.

renovation and expansion projects

After the serious damage caused by an air raid in 1944, the building was extensively rebuilt in 1951/52 under architect Martin Schmid. The conversion led to a radical change in the facade and created additional space for gastronomy and lessons. From 1992 to 1994 there was a further increase with a new event hall and other premises. Most recently, the Mozart Hall was extensively renovated in 2023 to be returned to the original state.

Extensive renovation work is planned for the future, which are scheduled to begin in three construction stages from 2024. This includes the facade renovation and the renewal of the windows in order to continue to preserve the historic building as a cultural center. With this continuous development, the Klagenfurt concert hall keeps its place as an important meeting point for culture and music in the region.

Further information about the concert hall and its history can be found on the pages of Konzerthaus Kärnten .